Transcending history and the world,a tale of souls and swords eternally retold.Anonymous

Chosen by history, a man becomes a warrior.Engraved into history, a warrior becomes a hero.Song by a 14th Century troubadour

Countless legends surround a sword known as Soul Edge. Some claim it was the ultimate weapon. Others refer to it as the "Sword of Heroes." A phantom sword with immeasurable power of the spirits the key to eternal youth treasure without equal a panacea to cure all illness There are even those who consider it the "Sword of Salvation."

Although no one could ever be certain of the sword's whereabouts or true identity, various rumors and folklore spread across the world. In reality, Soul Edge was comprised of twin blades that fed on human souls.

In the latter half of the 16th century, a warrior on a divine mission for the ancient god of forge successfully shattered one of the evil blades. Tragically, shattering the sword produced the opposite effect of what was intended. The balance of power between the swords was destroyed, and the evil of the blades spiraled out of control; its malevolent energy diffused into the sky in a form of eerie light. The phenomenon, which later became known as the Evil Seed, scarred the world with its evil legacy.

The remaining sword possessed the body of a man who took the evil blade into his hands and embarked on a killing spree throughout Europe. Macabre accounts of merciless killings spread fear throughout the entire continent.

Yet the massacres ceased after three years. Four more years passed, and the horrors became a distant memory and people felt safe once again.

No one knew.

Four years before, a spirit sword named Soul Calibur appeared from the East, as if to answer the call of the raging Soul Edge. No one witnessed the final battle to the death where Soul Edge was shattered. No one knew that the spirit sword was left behind in the vortex of evil to stop the demon sword's powers.

Most people were oblivious to the fact that the peace that followed was the result of this battle, and the spirit sword's existence remained a mystery.

Unfortunately, the peace was merely a façade; the evil blade began spreading its influence, quietly yet surely, throughout the world once again. People unwittingly transported the sword to every corner of the world in the form of metal shards. These pieces of Soul Edge still embodied evil powers. With Soul Calibur lost in the void, it was only a matter of time before the evil sword's dark powers infected the entire world.

The following tales of swords and souls are of those who pursued Soul Edge for their own convictions and reasons...

Ivy's father, Count Valentine, was driven insane by his pursuit of Soul Edge. By the time of his death, the Valentines--one of London's most distinguished families--was in ruins. The countess fell ill and passed away soon thereafter, leaving Ivy with the words that Valentines were not her true parents.

Obeying the wishes of her adoptive father, Ivy continued the search for Soul Edge and studied alchemy. During her investigation, she uncovered the true nature of the sword, which was an evil blade that feasted on souls. She vowed to destroy Soul Edge to avenge her father's death. She invoked strange powers through occult rituals summon a mysterious individual who gave life to the mechanical sword she dubbed "Ivy Blade."

When she left on a journey to search for the evil sword, Ivy crossed paths with Nightmare, the one who breathed life into the sword. She agreed to assist him in his ritual to summon souls. Little did she know that it was all part of the demonic weapon's plan.

Ivy found out the truth the day Nightmare was defeated and Soul Edge was shattered. She realized that Nightmare possessed Soul Edge, and that her birth father was manipulated by the weapon's wicked powers.

Shaken by the horrifying truth, Ivy returned home and locked herself away in a dark laboratory.

After months of soul searching, Ivy emerged with renewed resolve. Her goal was to completely wipe out the sword's existence. She renamed her weapon, which shared the same fate as herself, "Valentine."

Under the influence of Soul Edge, the dead pirate Cervantes slaughtered his entire crew and fed off of souls of swordsmen whom dared to venture forth to challenge him.

But one day, a holy warrior sent by God destroyed one of the demonic blades, and Cervantes' body was consumed by hellfire.

His soul, however, was not freed by the destruction of his corporeal form. The pieces of Soul Edge buried in his body resurrected Cervantes.

He had the most of his memory, but it eventually came flooding back. Along with his memories came back the desire to possess that great power once again. Although he recalled the loss of his free will to the power, it still appealed to him. Cervantes began to seek the fragments of the sword, only to realize that the second sword had been shattered as well.

He picked up several pieces of the newly created shards and gazed upon them. Was his desire to possess that power again for naught? That was when Cervantes sensed something strange. Two pieces of the sword in his palm began to resonate with his body and began to melt into one.

Four years passed. He took souls of the strong and found new pieces of the sword to increase the power of Soul Edge. In time, the fragments assumed the shape of a sword and began to emanate an evil aura.

His ultimate goal was the revival of Soul Edge. To accomplish his goal, he needed as many fragments of the evil blade as he could find.

Originally, he was the leader of a group of brigands known as the Schwarzwind (Black Wind), whose stronghold was located near the Roman Empire. He left on a journey to find Soul Edge after his father was murdered.

Eventually, on a Spanish harbor he came across a sword emanating a strange aura lying besides the corpse of a pirate. The dead body returned to life, covered in flames, as if to protect the sword. Upon defeating the apparition, he reached for the hilt of the mysterious blade.

It was then that he heard the voice of Soul Edge. It told him that if he used the souls absorbed by the sword, he would be able to resurrect his father. From that moment on, the man became Nightmare, the evil knight who would go on to strike fear into every corner of Europe.

He killed for three years thereafter to feed his sword with souls. But his dream was crushed when a warrior wielding a spirit sword called Soul Calibur—a sword with polar opposite energy of Soul Edge--appeared. Nightmare and Soul Edge were defeated, and they both fell into the collapsing void.

He somehow managed to survive and regained some of his sanity. Along with lucidity came the horrifying memories of the sins he had committed, as well as the realization that it was he who had murdered his father.

He knew Soul Edge must never fall into the hands of another man. He set off to be as far as possible from other humans, yet awoke every morning to the sight of people he had slain during the night. The evil blade took over his body while he slept.

After four years, he was once again Nightmare, his body taken over by Soul Edge completely. He began to pursue the fragments of Soul Edge in a mission to full restore itself.

Will there ever be a day when he will be Siegfried Schtauffen once more?

The Italian merchant of death named Vercci was one of the many sought Soul Edge. During the search for the weapon, Vercci lost a large portion of his wealth to war. Vercci dug a pit on a small island, where he hid the remains of his wealth.

The chasm, which later became known as the Money Pit, had a guardian named Voldo.

Even after his master's death, Voldo guarded the vault faithfully. At the same time, he sought the weapon his master desired.

One day, after Voldo chased an intruder away, he heard his long-lost master's voice. Obeying his master's orders, Voldo followed Soul Edge's aura emanating from the female intruder's sword. Eventually, he succeeded in bringing back a single-handed sword that emanated a strange aura. Yet he did not hear the voice of his deceased master.

Four years passed without hearing his master's voice.

When he defeated an intruder one day, Voldo found several metal shards that possessed the same aura as Soul Edge. Voldo finally understood why he did not hear his deceased master's voice. The sword he brought back was not Soul Edge.

Voldo set out again. This time, he would bring Soul Edge back to his master.

Receiving Ares' oracle to seek the sword, the grand priest Kunpaetku used the cult's black arts to create a golem. The grand priest named the golem Astaroth.

When Astaroth eventually found it, the sword in a weakened state, having lost half of itself in battle.

Deciding that his God would not be pleased with the blade in this condition, the golem followed the orders of Nightmare (who wielded the sword at the time) and slaughtered countless victims in order to strengthen the unholy weapon. Three years later, the blade had recovered its power, and the time was nearing for Astaroth to take Soul Edge from Nightmare's grasp.

Unfortunately for Astaroth, he was defeated by one individual before he could accomplish his goal. Astaroth was a subject of bitter hatred for those who managed to survive his innumerable massacres.

Four years later. Astaroth was resurrected. It was a feat only superhuman powers could invoke. It could be said that it was a form of miracle. Astaroth's body also absorbed pieces of Soul Edge, which made him far more powerful and merciless.

Eventually, Astaroth must have remembered his purpose, for he hefted his familiar ax and vanished into the mist.

Although Mitsurugi was born into a peasant family, this did not stop him from becoming a renowned mercenary with nicknames such as "One Many Army" and "Demon."

One day, Mitsurugi, beaten by a rifle called Tanegashima, happened upon a story of a massive sword called Soul Edge.

Mitsurugi crossed the ocean in search of Soul Edge. During his journey, he heard rumors that Soul Edge's wielder, Nightmare, had disappeared, but Mitsurugi was unwilling to give up.

Four years after his quest had begun, Mitsurugi stumbled upon the trail of Soul Edge while visiting a castle near the Ming frontier. A mysterious man handed him a piece of Soul Edge. Mitsurugi had his doubts, but ultimately decided to believe the man.

Soon afterwards, an incident occurred where a servant of the Ming Emperor arrived at the castle, demanding for the "Sword of Heroes." The lord slew the servant when he refused to leave without the sword.

"War is coming," thought Mitsurugi.

He senses the same storm that he had felt before on countless battlefields.

After defeating the dread pirate Cervantes, Taki attempted to fuse a fragment of Soul Edge she removed from Sophitia's body in the demonic blade, Mekki-Maru. Much to her surprise, Mekki-Maru began to surge with even greater evil energy.

Taki feared that the leader of the Fu-Ma clan, Master Toki, would take Mekki-Maru away, so she left the clan and became a renegade ninja. She searched for Soul Edge in the hopes of destroying both swords by pitting them against one another. Unfortunately, by the time she found Soul Edge, its wielder, Nightmare, had already been defeated.

Perhaps it was the fact that she lacked a plan to destroy Mekki-Maru, but Taki's desire to master the sword began to grow.

One day, several Fu-Ma Ninjas appeared before her. Unlike previous encounters, these pursuers attempted to capture her, rather than trying to kill her. Searching through the strewn remains of the ninjas, Taki came across a familiar metal fragment.

Toki was undoubtedly searching for the information about Soul Edge. That would explain why the ninjas attempted to take her alive.

Knowing the effects of Soul Edge on its wielders, Taki knew she could not let it get into the hands of Master Toki.

On her way back to Japan, she sensed the presence of the evil sword. Time was running out.

Southeast Asia was thrust into an age of turmoil when Western Europe's influence began to encroach upon their lands. In one particular region of Southeast Asia lived a tribe of people who could control the winds.

Talim was the daughter of this village's shaman, and she was reared to be the last priestess. During an ear where faith in the Wind Deity gradually waned, Talim possessed unparalleled potential to be a shaman.

One day, as Talim read the winds just as she had done many times, a violent evil aura that seemed to devour everything in it ph surged into her body. Talim lost her consciousness and did not wake for days. The incident occurred the day the Evil Seed spread across the world.

When Talim was 15, a westerner brought a peculiar metallic fragment. The westerner touted the object as a "vitality charm," but Talim immediately recognized the evil within the piece of metal; it was the same malevolent energy that she felt on the day she collapsed.

"I must return the fragment to its rightful place!" Talim exclaimed.

The young priestess left on the journey, even though her elders were full of misgivings.

Soon after Talim left the village, she senses the resonance of the same evil aura from other parts of the world. She knew that everything would soon be consumed by illness if the evil force continued to spread. Talim knew she had to find all of the fragments and seek their rightful place.

No matter how far she was from her home, Talim could feel the wind. She was not afraid-no matter how long the journey, she knew she would be fine as long as the winds were with her.

After completing his mountain training with Kuma, Heihachi stopped by at a hot springs resort to recuperate. There he encountered an ancient metallic fragment. According to old picture scrolls, this shard was a piece of Soul Edge, a notorious sword from medieval Eroupe. Heihachi grabbed the fragment in excitement and accidentally cut his fingertip.

After a moment of dizziness passed, Heihachi looked around at his surroundings. A feeling of uneasiness washed ober him. He was no longer at the resort he had been at just a few moments ago. Heihachi was stunned, but nevertheless remained collected.

After he wandered around for a while, he came to the conclusion that he was no longer in modern-day Japan. He had somehow traveled back to ancient times. Apparently, he was in the latter half of the 16th century.

Regardless of the situation, Heihachi had to find a way to return to his time.

There was a part of him, however, that was trembling with anticipation of what was about to transpire. He knew the history behind the fragment, which was rife with bottles between warriors fighting for its possession. Now, he was right in the midst of it all.

What better way to test his strength than a warring era ruled by power? A fighter could not ask for a better challenge!

Raphael, the young master of the Sorel family, grew up with the rapier and medicine as his playmates. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongest the nobles. Unfortunately, Raphael was cast out one day when he made a critical mistake.

Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers. There he met a little girl named Amy, who hid the weakened Raphael from his enemies. For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the soldiers. For Raphael, however, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and Amy became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.

Convinced that the chaos of the war was no place to live a meaningful life. Raphael took Amy and left the poverty--stricken town. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world.

One day, in the library of the mansion he acquired under dark pretenses, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed. It wasn't long before he made the connection between Evil Seed and Soul Edge.

What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? It would all be worth it if the petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated to secure a meaningful future for Amy. But in order to accomplish his goal, Raphael needed Soul Edge; he was determined to obtain the sword by any means necessary.

A grand, insane plan was brewing in his mind--all for the sake of a young girl.

Kilik was to be the successor of one of the three sacred treasures of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, called the Kali-Yuga.

Tragically, the night before the succession ceremony, a mysterious light fell upon the temple, driving all those who saw it into an insane, murdering frenzy. Kilik was no exception, and he killed many temple members because of his strength.

At the end of the atrocity, the Dvapara-Yuga, second of the three sacred treasures of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, hung across the chest of Kilik. The Dvapara-Yuga belonged to Xianglian, a woman who had been like an older sister to Kilik.

When Kilik awoke, he found himself in an old man's hermitage. The old man revealed to Kilik that the root of this evil was a demonic sword called Soul Edge. Kilik studied the secret art of the Ling-Sheng Su style rod and left on a journey to destroy the evil blade.

With the help of Xianghua, a woman he met during his travels, Kilik succeeded in defeating the wielder of Soul Edge, Nightmare. Kilik returned to his master in order to perfect the technique of neutralizing and purifying the evil energy. But one day, he sensed a return of the malevolent aura of Soul Edge.

Soul Edge still existed! Kilik left on another journey to destroy Soul Edge once and for all, for he wished to atone for his sins.

Maxi, the pirate from Ryukyu (parent-day Okinawa, Japan), led a carefree life on the high seas. Maxi looked to the west for new lands to explore and sailed towards Europe. While docked at a harbor in India, he encountered Kilik.

The hidden evil resident within Kilik attracted unwanted attention from a horde of monsters. The ensuing battle took the lives of Maxi's crew, who were helpless against these nightmarish foes. After the massacre, Maxi swore to seek revenge for his fallen comrades, and traveled with Kilik. Xianghua later joined the group, and together they headed for Europe.

Eventually, the group made their way into Nightmare's stronghold. The same monsters that slaughtered Maxi's crew waited for them at the castle.

Maxi forced his companions to go on while he stayed behind to confront Astaroth. After Astaroth's defeat, the God Ares commanded the ground to swallow up Maxi.

When Maxi awoke, he found himself resting on a riverbank. Luckily, a person from a nearby village rescued him. He quickly became popular among the villagers, but Maxi's wounds were graver than he realized--his wonder lust days were over.

Four years passed, then a rumor reached the village. The rumor was about a man with gigantic ax.

Maxi had a horrible feeling that it was Astaroth. He tried to chase after the rumored man, but his body would not cooperate. Maxi visited the village medicine man to receive treatments for his injuries. The elder performed a secret ritual with a rare metal fragment.

Several days later, Maxi left the village with the promise to return one day. Maxi did not realize that he had lost the memories of his companions in exchange for the restoration of his body.

Yunsung was well-known in the dojo for his swordsmanship, even by his seniors. Hwang Sung Kyung, whom Yunsung had idolized as a child, was no longer his hero, but a goal to surpass. Yunsung wished to challenge Hwang to a duel.

One day, news reached the Seung Dojo that Hwang was returning from his long journey. Yunsung saw his opportunity to force Hwang to acknowledge his fighting skills. He may even prove to be actually stronger than Hwang!

Hwang, however, did not take Yunsung's challenge, for he had other priorities such as rejoining the military to help defend his country from the impending invasion by Japan.

Seung Mina, the master's daughter, saw the brooding young man and handed him a single-handed sword. The weapon she handed to Yunsung was a Seung family heirloom. According to legend, it possessed the ability to reflect the deepest thoughts of those who held the blade.

That night, Yunsung studied the image of himself in the sword and reflected. He eventually understood the foolishness of challenging someone for personal reasons when the country was in such peril. But what could Yunsung do to make Hwang acknowledge him? He then realized that if he could obtain the Sword of Salvation that Hwang had failed to find, Hwang would be forced to recognize Yunsung's talents and respect him. A challenge against Hwang would have to wait.

Once Yunsung made his decision, he could not stay put for long. He immediately packed his belongings and left the dogo.

It was seven years earlier that Cassandra witnessed a mysterious Asian woman bring Sophitia back and draw out shards of the evil sword out of her sister's flesh while treating her wounds.

Therefore, when Sophitia disappeared again a few years later, Cassandra was certain that her sister had left to contend with Soul Edge once more.

One day, after running errands for her family's bakery, Cassandra visited Sophitia's home. There she saw a familiar metal shard. It was undoubtedly a fragment of Soul Edge.

Angered by her sister's panicked reaction to the world, Cassandra ran to the Hephaestus Shrine.

"Why are you doing this to my sister? How can you claim to be an almighty God? Answer me!" Cassandra screamed.

Her voice reverberated throughout the desolate hallowed grounds. Cassandra collapsed on the floor, worn out from shouting. It was then that she saw the metal fragment resonating with the holy sword blessed by Hephaestus.

She realized then that Soul Edge was still alive. But she could not allow her sister to carry the burden any longer.

Around this time when light began to filter in from the eastern skies, the holy weapon disappeared from the temple.

---------------------------------

Chai Xianghua

Age: 20Birthplace: Ming Empire/PekingHeight: 5'0"Weight: 10lbs.Birth Date: April 2Blood Type: BWeapon: Chinese SwordWeapon Name: No nameDiscipline: Sword play passed down from her motherFamily: Mother/Deceased, Father/Deceased, according to her mother

Xianghua became a member of the royal guard with her skillful swordsmanship nurtured since childhood. She was then assigned on a mission to find Soul Edge. Unfortunately, the Emperor's hand-picked search party failed to produce the "Hero's Sword."

Truthfully, Xianghua had found the sword, but she disobeyed her orders and destroyed the demonic weapon after learning its true nature. Falling into disfavor with the Emperor, Xianghua was stripped of her rank and reassigned to a menial position.

One day, news reached Xianghua that the Emperor attacked a castle that supposedly housed a member of the search party who had found the Hero's Sword, but refused to hand over the weapon to the Emperor.

Soldiers were dispatched and the castle fell, but the sword was never found. Xianghua was summoned, for they required her knowledge and experience.

Xianghua had destroyed the evil sword. Soul Edge did not exist in this world. But the investigation proved otherwise. Xianghua heard rumors of Soul Edge fragments that existed in this place.

If this proved to be the truth, she had to find every single fragment and crush them down until nothing remained!

There was once a ninja clan was massacred at the hands of a vengeful lord. Yoshimitsu, the sole survivor of that clan, swore to avenge the fallen. He did not give up even after losing his right arm during an encounter. Yoshimitsu travelled across the sea, following a rumour about an ultimate weapon.

When he finally reached Europe, he came upon a serious of mysterious killings that wreaked havoc and spread terror across Europe. This reminded him of the slaughter of his clan, and thus Yoshimitsu changed his plan.

Yoshimitsu followed the trail of the mass murderer to Ostrheinsburg Castle, but the castle was devoid of any signs of life. After Yoshimitsu left the castle, he sensed the presence of a sinister energy dwelling in his katana. Yoshimitsu left on a journey to quell the negative energy within the sword.

But unexpectedly, someone stole the sword. Knowing that only misfortune would result if the cursed sword fell into the wrong hands, Yoshimitsu travelled the continent in search of his weapon.

During his travels, he devoted himself serving the weak and underprivileged. Four years passed, and Yoshimitsu devised a scheme to plunder treasures in order to give money to the poor.

The tomb Yoshimitsu infiltrated belonged to a man who was known as the "Merchant of Death." He was able to reach the treasures without encountering the rumoured guardian of the tomb. And there he found his long-lost sword, along side a metal fragment that emanated the same evil energy as his katana.

He left the tomb with his sword and metal shard in hand. If there were other things that possess the same evil energy within, it was up to him to find them and rid them from this world. Without a doubt in his mind, Yoshimitsu left on a journey.

The man's life was far from glorious. The strength that was louded within his village was far from remarkable in the real world. But the man survived through an age ravaged by war and finally attained the key to achieving success.

The key was found in pieces of metal belonging to a traveling merchant. The man spent all the money in his possession to purchase every last piece from the merchant.

He recalled a story by a swordsman he met about Soul Edge, the ultimate weapon surpassing all others. He believed that these fragments were pieces of Soul Edge, and kept them safe.

But that was a fateful mistake.

Rumours had circulated that the man was in possession of something extremely valuable, which caught the attention of bandits. The bandits slew him and threw the corpse down a ravine. The hands of the dead man still clung onto the metal fragments.

Months passed, and the pieces of metal in the man's grasp disappeared. The only thing left behind were trails of something that had crawled around.

Sophitia was the eldest daughter of a baker. Her life was rather ordinary until the day she received an oracle from Hephaestus, the God of fire and forge, to destroy an evil sword called Soul Edge.

The divine words of Hephaestus led Sophitia on two journeys. The first time, she succeeded in destroying one half of the Soul Edge, but received grave injuries by the flying shards of the shattered blade. The second quest took place a few years later when she learned that the remaining Soul Edge continued to wreak havoc.

During the second journey, Sophitia found that someone else had destroyed the demonic sword, and so she returned home to Rothion, her betrothed. They married shortly thereafter and were blessed with two children. They led a happy life until the day they encountered a particular metal fragment.

Her children scrambled and fought violently over a metal shard that Rothion received from a mysterious customer. The evil aura the fragment emanated caused Sophitia's old wounds to ache.

"Had the shards of the demonic sword infected me with their dark energy before they were removed from my body?" Sophitia thought in horror. But that would explain her children's frenzied reaction over that piece of metal.

Sophitia's young sister, Cassandra, saw her bewildered reaction, and ran out with the metal shard. A few weeks passed before Sophitia made up her mind.

Sophitia intended to free her children from the evil sword's curse and insure the safe return of her sister, who had left on a journey to destroy Soul Edge on Sophitia's behalf.

In Sophitia's hands were the new sword and shield that her beloved husband had forged for her.

Mina began training with the zanbatou at an early age and grew to be a skilled warrior.

During that time, Lee Dynasty Korea was clamoring about for Soul Edge, known to them as the Sword of Salvation. Hwang Sung Kyung recruited from the Seung dojo to search for the renowned weapon.

When Mina found out about this, she disobeyed her father's orders and ran away from home on a quest to find the sword. Unfortunately for Mina, Hwang dragged her back home when he found her. Shortly thereafter, she was forced to restart her arduous training.

One day, Yunsung--who was a student of the dojo--left with one of the Seung family's heirlooms called White Storm. Because Mina was the one that had lent the sword to him, she felt obligated to bring Yunsung and White Storm back to the dojo.

Han Myong was resistant at first, but he eventually gave in, out of fear that she would run away for a third time if he did not allow her to go.

By the time Han Myong realized that Mina would get involved with the search for the Sword of Salvation once again, she was already out of the country.

OK, must of missed it This isn't really a thread meant for discussion anyway, more for reference for anyone who wants the profiles, that old thread was more for collecting new info in the build up to the game, so I'll close & sticky this just for reference.

If you wanna bump the old one for discussion please do so

[size=1][color=#666666]This message was edited by sphinx87 on Oct 26 2003.